Apparently hell hath no fury like the public, when a giraffe is euthanized. I get it giraffes are cute, the long eyelashes and goofy expression, but as many others, I doubt that a smaller more boring animal – let’s say a water hog, would have sparked the same outrage as the euthanizing of Marius the giraffe.

Witnessing the autopsy yesterday, I was impressed by the professionalism and the efficiency of the zoo staff. There was an air of scientifically accuracy and decency about the whole thing. Unsentimental and “this is how nature works” and I believe it, when the zoo states how this was the decent thing to do (read the statement here).

It’s fair to be against zoos, of course, and I think British PETA wrote a balanced statement about exactly that (read it here) but to refuse to make money from their animals by selling them and instead fight against inbreeding, too me that’s decent too. Let’s fight how bad the industry handles the food we eat, mistreating millions of pigs and chickens everyday, instead of raging against one mercy killing at a Zoo – Marius had a good life, the cheap supermarket pork chops hadn’t. I trust that Copenhagen Zoo actually know what they’re doing, though it seems harsh from the outside.

About me

Nice to meet you, my name is Didde Elnif
I'm teaching digital journalism, radio and digital sociology at University of Southern Denmark. Previously I've been head of programme at a conference called New Media Days (DR) and I've been digital editor at Dagbladet Information - head to Linkedin for more work/edu related info.
If you want to get in touch send me an email at didde@elnif.dk or ping me at twitter.com/elnif